1. Field of the invention
The invention consists of apparatus for a court game similar in some respects to basketball, but having the target at which the ball is thrown lying in a vertical plane, and having a curved "backboard" which disperses missed shots over a wide area.
2. Description of Prior Art
The idea of throwing a ball through a vertical aperture, as distinct from causing it to land in a horizontal aperture as in basketball, makes for an interesting game. Frick (U.S. Pat. No. 574,087) patented a lawn game based on this idea in 1896. Although the structure of his apparatus differed markedly from my invention, it being flat and held at or below eye level by stakes, the possibility of an exciting game was recognized. Penner (U.S. Pat. No. 2,932,516) used a volleyball and a height-adjustable single target aperture mounted on a flat plate adjustable in height at or near eye level. Morgan (U.S. Pat. No. 613,383) and Hatley (U.S. Pat. No. 2,545,615) used only a ring as the target, omitting the backboard. Kenney, et. al. (U.S. Pat. No. 2,647,747) improved the difficulty and so the excitement by mounting his football target well above eye level on a basketball hoop. Hatley's apparatus was also elevated, located in the center of the playing field, and six-sided.
All these variations on ball-throwing into an aperture located in a vertical plane tested the skill and agility of the players or teams, this testing being what made the game exciting. My invention introduces a new factor, penalizing lack of skill and rewarding skill to an appropriate degree for a game which is basically a contest.